


Roses and Lavender

by nineofcupsnpc, yanjunsdimples



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 23:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17837888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nineofcupsnpc/pseuds/nineofcupsnpc, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanjunsdimples/pseuds/yanjunsdimples
Summary: Yanjun didn’t expect his minor slip up to result in a failing grade, a horde of unwanted suitors, and him getting a boyfriend. Safe to say, he’s never been happier to fail a class.✧ ✧ ✧Prompt:#70: where yanjun gets love potion spilled on him by chaoze, leading to him having to run away from besotted admirers the entire day - yet zhangjing doesn't seem to be affected by the potion?





	Roses and Lavender

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time doing a magical world au and i’m not actually the hugest fantasy fan, so please be kind! but i hope you find this read enjoyable enough ahhh,,

Two abrupt knocks at the door. A voice calling out, only just audible over the fizzling and boiling of the iron cauldron before them.   
  
“ Yanjun, Chaoze, keep it down in there! I expect the potion to be handed in to me by this afternoon, so no messing around. And remember - add the ground rose powder last. ”   


* * *

  
Yanjun hums as his finger traces along the words of the instruction sheet, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He adjusts the round glasses perched upon his nose with a gentle nudge, before coming to the conclusion that his struggle to read the paper was not due to his own terrible eyesight, but the dimly lit lab room. He whisks out his wand from within his layered robes with a flourish, muttering a quick spell underneath his breath, and watches with a prideful smile as balls of soft warm light, no bigger than a blueberry, form near the tip of his wand before drifting to different areas of the room.   
  
The magical lights lend the lab a different atmosphere, with the shadowed corners and dark stone walls now illuminated. It feels less like a dungeon cell, Yanjun notes, and more like what would have been a bedroom of a medieval castle in the past. The only sources of light prior to Yanjun's spell had been a singular candle hung on each of the room ’ s four walls, as the founder of the academy had asserted that “magic best takes place in the dark; shadows only enhance the mystery surrounding it”.   


A particularly loud series of crackles and pops of bubbles from the cauldron brings Yanjun’s attention back to the task at hand. Right - he and Chaoze had to finish their sleep potion assignment.   
  
Once again, Yanjun glances at the paper floating in front of him, slowly deciphering the instructions written with Mr. Zhang's god-awful handwriting.   
  
“Step seventeen: Enchant a sprig of lavender and place it in the mixture. Step eighteen: Add a handful of ground rose powder,” Yanjun mumbled to himself, reading the words scrawled in black ink. “Okay, nearly done. This will be an easy A.”

 

Making his way over to the wooden cupboard on the other side of the room, Yanjun scans the shelves holding glass jars of varied shapes and sizes, skimming through the labels. “Blue lizard tongue... goat horn... children’s tears - well that sounds like something I definitely want to experiment with someday... hm... ah! Here we go, fresh lavender sprigs and ground rose powder.”

 

“Lin Yanjun, hurry up! We’re not going to submit this in time if you keep working at a snail’s pace.” Chaoze’s shrill voice cuts effortlessly through the thick air, and Yanjun rolls his eyes as he brings the two jars to the bubbling cauldron in the center of the room.   
  
“Don't be so tense, Chaoze, ” Yanjun tries to calm the other boy. Twisting open the smaller jar and grabbing a handful of the deep red powder, he carelessly tosses it over the shoulder and into the blue mixture, which was now beginning to turn a lustrous purple. Seeing a growing panic in Chaoze's eyes, as well as his mouth that couldn't seem to close, Yanjun continued. “Submission is in an hour. This pot of sleepy goodness will take fifty minutes to cool and set after I put these last ingredients in. Ten minutes is more than enough to pour it into a flask and bring it to Mr. Zhang.”   
  
Chaoze finally manages to close his mouth to swallow, only to be silenced by Yanjun's finger as he began to speak.   
  
“I promise we'll make it in time. Really, don't worry.”   
  
“N-no. No no no. Yanjun, the rose powder.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“We were meant to add the rose powder last.”   
  
Yanjun had never whipped his head around as fast as he did in that moment to check the jar labels.   
  
“Shit.”

 

* * *

 

Minutes of panicking (while coming to the devastating realisation that the potion couldn’t be saved) later, Yanjun managed to convince Chaoze to just pour their potion into the flask, rather than contemplating whether he could quickly master a spell to turn back time.

 

“Listen, we really don’t have time for this right now. Would you rather submit a perfect potion late and get an immediate fail, or submit a slightly wonky one on time and have a chance of passing? I mean, we only screwed up on the last step - I’m sure that couldn’t have made that big of a difference”, Yanjun reasoned, reaching an arm out to grab the flask from the shorter boy.

 

He probably shouldn’t have though, because Chaoze simultaneously sighed and shoved the flask towards him, resulting in the potion being knocked out of the smaller boy’s hands, flying into the air.

 

Time seemed to slow as the two boys stared at the flask in mid-air with shocked expressions, bodies not reacting fast enough to catch it before time seemed to go back to normal. Before they knew it the potion was all over Yanjun’s pristine white shirt, and he groaned, feeling patches of his shirt immediately sticking to his skin and already knowing the purple stains would be hell to get out.

 

He turned to face Chaoze, ready to snap at him, but stopped before the words left his mouth. Chaoze was… making a rather strange expression. An expression he had never seen directed at him before, especially not coming from the smaller boy. There were hints of a gentle smile gracing his lips, his expression was relaxed - unlike his usual snappy and sarcastic self - and Yanjun could swear there was a galaxy of stars in his eyes. Having Chaoze look at him so intensely made the Taiwanese boy uneasy - what had happened to his friend?

 

The next few minutes consisted of Yanjun panickedly pouring more of the potion into a new flask to submit - thankfully, the two had made too much to begin with - however, the seemingly simple task was made difficult with a clingy Chaoze linking arms with him and refusing to let go. On top of that, Yanjun had to work hard to avoid his friend’s gaze, as for some reason whenever they made eye contact, Chaoze would wink flirtatiously and blow him a kiss.

 

What sort of prank is this? And why now? Yanjun wondered, grumbling as he dragged Chaoze - who he guessed would be permanently attached to his arm now - out of the potion room and towards Mr Zhang’s office.

 

* * *

 

“You made a love potion.”

 

“What?”

 

“I said what I said. Instead of making a sleep potion, you two managed to make a love potion... which I see was then spilled on you.” Mr Zhang hummed, an eyebrow raised as he held the flask in the air, examining it. “I’m guessing you didn’t add the rose powder last, did you?”

 

Yanjun could only nod meekly and stare at the ground, too cowardly to make direct eye contact with Mr Zhang.

 

The potions professor sighed, rubbing at his temples with one hand as his other placed the flask onto his mahogany desk. “You two get a D. I would give you an F to teach you a lesson about being more careful, but I’m sure the effects of this potion will do that.”

 

Sensing Yanjun’s confusion, Mr Zhang continued, “Since you spilt the entire love potion on yourself, anyone who lays their eyes on you will instantly fall in love. It may sound good, but it can get pretty annoying after dealing with it for a while - not speaking from first hand experience, or anything. Luckily for you, you didn’t quite follow the recipe for a love potion exactly, so this is a pretty weak curse. It should wear off by tomorrow, if my calculations are accurate, so you have nothing to worry about.”

 

* * *

 

A few classes spent dodging new admirers and politely prying people’s hands off him later, Yanjun breathed a sigh of relief as the lunch bell rang.

 

He darted across the school grounds at record speed, settling down in a corner at the end of a deserted hallway - his regular lunch spot with Zhangjing. He had been thinking about the other boy constantly ever since Mr Zhang revealed that the potion spilt on him had the ability to make people fall for him, and had been anxiously waiting for lunchtime to roll around to meet the Malaysian boy.

 

Everyone who sees me will fall for me… Everyone, meaning Zhangjing included… right?

 

His thoughts are cut off as he spots Zhangjing coming from the opposite end of the hallway, a wide and cheerful grin plastered on his face as he waves to Yanjun. “Lin Yanjun! Did you wait long?”

 

Yanjun shakes his head as he looks up at the smaller boy fondly. “Not at all”, he replies, patting the space next to him, a silent request for Zhangjing to sit. “I’ve been so tired from today, you have no idea. I guess being this good-looking really drains energy, huh?” he jokes, chuckling nervously and glancing sideways at the Malaysian boy to observe his reaction.

 

“We get it, Lin Yanjun, you have a nice face,” rolling his eyes, Zhangjing’s voice drips with sarcasm as he opens up his lunchbox, also taking out a pair of chopsticks from his bag. “Thank you so much for reminding me everyday. What would I do without my daily dose of Yanjun loving himself?”

 

He’s… not in love with me?

 

Confused, Yanjun turns to properly face Zhangjing as the curly-haired boy begins eating, squinting at him suspiciously.

 

Zhangjing freezes mid-bite, chopsticks suspended in the air in the midst of delivering rice and beef to his open mouth. He chooses to place his chopsticks down, his face slowly reddening at the sudden and unexpected attention, Yanjun’s gaze piercing through him. “What? You’re acting really weird right now, Lin Yanjun.”

 

No, it’s you who’s acting weird.

 

Deciding to let it go for now, Yanjun muttered an excuse along the lines of thinking he saw grains of rice stuck on his chin, breaking apart his own wooden chopsticks to begin eating.

 

Weird, there shouldn’t be exceptions to those affected by love potions… I guess I’m so strongly friend zoned in Zhangjing’s mind that the potion doesn’t work? Mr Zhang did say the curse was a little weak.

 

Sulkily chewing on his food, Yanjun tried to suppress his feelings of disappointment for the rest of lunch, denying to himself that he had wanted Zhangjing to be in love with him at all.

 

* * *

 

It’s only in their one class together later that day - magic philosophy with Mr Li - that Zhangjing asks about the strange situation Yanjun is caught in.

 

A scrunched up piece of paper makes its way onto his desk, and Yanjun stealthily opens it up underneath the table while faking writing motions on the textbook before him, already knowing the sender’s identity.

 

[ Why is everyone in the room looking at you like that? ]

 

Yanjun’s eyes scan the room properly for the first time twenty minutes into his class, and notices that everyone seems to be staring at him with the same lovestruck, smitten look on their face, just as Chaoze was that morning. Lu Dinghao, who was sitting in the seat before him, was clearly not even trying to hide his infatuation with Yanjun, having completely spun around in his seat to face Yanjun, back against the front of the room and Mr Li.

 

Noting that Mr Li had his head buried in the textbook, focused on the writings of ancient mages, Yanjun wrote a response back to Zhangjing, before scrunching the paper up to throw.

 

He probably wasn’t discreet enough though, as an eraser weaved through the students before him and came flying towards his head. Yanjun looked up, annoyed and ready to snap, before shutting his mouth instantly at the sight of a frustrated Mr Li holding up his magic wand.

 

“Lin Yanjun, I don’t know what’s going on with you and the rest of the class today, but I don’t appreciate it, nor do I appreciate you trying to mess around during my lesson. Now pay attention.”

 

Forcing his expression into a tight-lipped smile, Yanjun shoves the paper into his trouser pockets, before turning to face Zhangjing, silently mouthing a request to meet him in the potions corridor after this class.

 

* * *

 

When Yanjun spots Zhangjing approaching him in the potions corridor after class, he hurriedly grabs the smaller boy by the wrist and drags him into the nearest room, slamming the heavy door behind them and not noticing the nervous blush dusting Zhangjing’s cheeks.

 

Pinning the smaller boy to the door by his wrists, Yanjun leans in slowly, his own face inching closer and closer to Zhangjing’s.

 

The dim light of the potion room casts a myriad of shadows across Zhangjing’s face, yet Yanjun thinks it only accentuates the brightness of his eyes, as they stare into his own curiously, an ocean of questions swimming in them. The Malaysian boy makes no effort to move from his trapped position, and Yanjun curses the location he chose, the room being too dark for him to check whether Zhangjing is blushing or not.

 

He drops Zhangjing’s wrists, letting them fall to the ground, and he takes a step back to put some distance between them. The proximity of their faces seconds prior had seemed to have no effect on Zhangjing, but it certainly did on Yanjun, his heart hammering so furiously in his chest that he worried it would jump out and leap into Zhangjing’s arms.

 

Bringing a hand up to rub at the back of his head, Yanjun mumbles to himself underneath his breath. “Why isn’t it working?”

 

It’s Zhangjing’s turn to be confused now. “What isn’t working? Is this related to how weird everyone’s been acting today?”

 

Yanjun sits down on one of the wooden stools in the room, pulling one up beside him for Zhangjing to sit on. Swinging his legs and letting out a shaky breath, he directs his gaze to the Malaysian boy’s questioning one.

 

“Well, long story short, Chaoze spilled a love potion on me that makes everyone fall in love with me.”

 

A few beats of silence.

 

“What?”

 

“Yeah, you heard right. We messed up on our sleep potion assignment and turned it into a love potion - or curse, I don’t know, really - that he spilled on my shirt, being the dumbass he is. And so far, everybody really has been infatuated with me - everyone except you.”

 

Beginning to ramble, Yanjun wipes his sweaty palms on his trousers, his nerves, Zhangjing’s full attention and the lack of ventilation in the room combining to begin to suffocate him.

 

“I mean, I’ve never seen you in a relationship before, maybe this is just how you act when you’re in love and the potion really did do its job - I wouldn’t know. I did look up some ways to rid of the potion’s effects, though, so if you’d like I could just whip a cure up and pour it on you. Relieve you of your suffering, I guess,” he chuckles nervously, his voice lowering in volume until it was only a whisper, “but I’m selfish…”

 

Standing up from his seat suddenly, Yanjun moved to leave the room, face heating up uncontrollably and wanting to escape this embarrassment. This time, it was Zhangjing who grabbed his wrist, stopping him before he could even reach to open the door.

 

“Hey, I’m curious about something. What do you mean by ‘selfish’?”

 

Zhangjing’s soft hand seemed to burn on his wrist, and Yanjun had a feeling it wasn’t due to the use of magic. Yanjun’s voice comes out cracked and squeaky as he first tries to speak, and he clears his throat twice before his voice sounds somewhat normal - although still tense from nerves.

 

“I’ll be honest. I hated this love curse at first because everyone was being so clingy and annoying, you know? You have no idea how many times I’ve had to look away in disgust from Chaoze and Dinghao making kiss faces at me, or peel them off my arm as they latch onto me, or push them away as they start whispering confessions into my ear. It’s horrible,” Yanjun pauses to shudder. “But then I thought it might not be that bad because I’d get to see you flirt with me - even if they weren’t your true feelings, I looked forward to you trying to kiss me, you clinging onto my arm, you whispering sweet nothings to me. I wanted you to be in love with me, even just for a day.”

 

Realising what he had just blurted out, Yanjun’s face flushes immediately, and he gulps before continuing on hesitantly. “But the potion just doesn’t seem to have any effect on you, so I guess your image of me is just a friend and nothing else…”

 

“You are so stupid.”

 

That was not the reply Yanjun was quite expecting. He stumbles over his next words.

 

“I-I’m sorry?”

 

“Lin Yanjun, you are so, so, very stupid. You are unbelievably stupid. Inconceivably stupid.”

 

The Taiwanese boy is frozen in his spot, Zhangjing’s words not quite making sense to him - perhaps he was stupid after all, if he couldn’t figure out why?

 

Zhangjing takes a deep breath before staring Yanjun straight in the eye - the taller boy found it impossible to tear his gaze away from the burning fire within Zhangjing’s orbs.

 

“Don’t you get it? I already love you - I’ve loved you for years - and that’s why the potion isn’t making me act differently.”

 

* * *

 

Dinghao yawns, not bothering to cover his mouth, as he weaves between cafeteria tables with Chaoze, heading towards the back table where Yanjun and Zhangjing sat. Yanjun is trying to feed Zhangjing, bringing a spoonful of rice, beef, pork and chicken piled on top, towards Zhangjing’s mouth, ruffling the Malaysian boy’s curly hair affectionately as the latter chews.

 

“What’s up with you two today?” Dinghao asks, sliding into a seat opposite them. “Normally you two act like a cheesy couple, but today you guys are practically married.”

 

Crossing his arms sulkily and pouting, Zhangjing pettily glares at the newcomers to the table. “Well I’m not the one who had to sit through a day of you two trying to get into my boyfriend’s pants!” Huffing, he tightened his crossed arms.

 

Inching closer, Yanjun wrapped his arms around Zhangjing, backhugging him and he placed his chin on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “Come on, babe, we already discussed this. It wasn’t within their control.”

 

There was a moment of silence, before two high pitched screeches simultaneously pierced through the quiet hum of the cafeteria.

 

“Boyfriend?!”

“Babe?!”


End file.
